Rabari

File:Ribari, a caste of camel-men - Tashrih al-aqvam (1825), f.345v - BL Add. 27255.jpg

The Rabari people (also known as Rebari, Raika, Desai and Dewasi people) are a caste group from Rajasthan, Kutch region of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab of India and the Sindh province of Pakistan.{{Cite journal |last=Köhler-Rollefson |first=Ilse |author-link=Ilse Kohler-Rollefson |date=1992 |title=The Raika Dromedary Breeders of Rajasthan: A Pastoral System in Crisis |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43123358 |journal=Nomadic Peoples |volume=30 |issue=30 |pages=74–83 |jstor=43123358 }}{{Cite book |last=Chaudhary |first=Shyam Nandan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBX1EJVhjGEC&q=rabari+tribe&pg=PA395 |title=Tribal Development Since Independence |date=2009 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-8069-622-0 |pages=23 |language=en}} They were traditionally camel herders but have now taken to rearing sheep and cattle.

Origin

File:Rabari.png

Rabari claim Baluchistan as the place of their origin. According to Sigrid Westphal-Helbusch, significant migrations of Rabaris took place between 12th to 14th century, when they moved from Marwar to Sindh and Kutch. The migrations of Rabaris in fact follow similar paths as that of Rajputs and Charans, two other migrant group in this region, indicating intertwined histories. Westphal-Helbusch ascribes the goddess worship traditions of Rabaris to the Charan influence.{{Cite book |last=Kothiyal |first=Tanuja |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=be-7CwAAQBAJ |title=Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert |date=2016-03-14 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-08031-7 |pages=126 |language=en}}

Tattoo Culture

Rabaris were known for their elaborate Trajva tattoos. They are usually done on the forearms, face, throat. The tattoo can have a range of meanings, including representations of fertility or skill milestones. Green sap from a nearby plant is mixed with soot to make the tattoos.{{Cite web |last=IANS |date=2023-07-27 |title=The evolution of traditional tattoos in India |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/lifestyle/the-evolution-of-traditional-tattoos-in-india-1503204979.html |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=The Statesman |language=en}}

References

Bibliography

= Books =

Francesco D'Orazi Flavoni. (1990) [https://search.worldcat.org/title/38081195 Rabari a Pastoral community of Kutch]

{{citation |title=Literacy and Development: Ethnographic Perspectives |first=Brian V. |last=Street |publisher=Routledge |year=2002 |isbn=9781134566204 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HvaCAgAAQBAJ}}....